Repairing an item that was clearly the tenant negligence and charging you for it ...I.e. broken door on microwave  .......you get the idea.

If the tenant did something that resulted in damages (to a person or their property), and somehow you could have been found negligent in renting to them - then, maybe you could be found liable.For instance, if you rented to someone with a history of breaking his neighbors' windows.  

The cost difference is negligible.  

Property management companies that don't utilize the basic internet resources at our fingertips are lazy at best and negligent at worst.

My understanding is that renter's insurance covers their items and gets you off the hook if someone falls on the property that they are renting, or if they negligently left a pot on the stove and the kitchen burned - their fault, their insurance not you.  

What your tenant did is called "Negligence" otherwise known as stupidity.

It can be a gray area, but generally if you were not negligent in upkeep (as in didn't ignore requests from tenant that there was a possible issue) you aren't liable for the tenant's belongings.

I'm working on returning a security deposit and am having a hard time deciding what to do with damage to a water heater.  I'm hoping those with more experience can shed some light on the decision.  Purchased property ...

Right now I'm looking at a $2000 water bill thanks to her negligence, which in MA the landlord is responsible for.Overall I have 5 tenants, and most are good.

—If the premises are damaged or destroyed other than by the wrongful or negligent acts of the tenant so that the enjoyment of the premises is substantially impaired, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement and immediately vacate the premises.